Gone by Midnight
by Nomoe
Summary: Young David rows out to Spooky Island in order to visit a dear old friend and then he reveals an astonishing secret... Collaborated Piece ft. Mars @0cean Gem slight Jaspvid implication


Gone By Midnight

A wondrous blue moon which appeared but once each year cast its silvery glow upon the earth from the heavens among the glittering stars that light up the night sky. Quietly, David sat up as the cot he slept on creaked under his shifting movements. There was an empty cot across from his which was vacant ever since the hiking incident. David looked at it for a moment while the shadowing darkness inside of the tent hindered his vision. The cot held such important significance to him that he didn't dare disturb it; the sheets on his dead friend's cot was still left tossed around messily as he left it. The badge he won laid untouched on the drawer beside it. He kept it there in memory of him along with a false hope that he would someday return from the dead to sleep in it once more.  
He knew that was a ridiculous thought though, because the dead never visited those who were alive. It was always the other way around.  
It was a rare occasion to have such an opportunity - it was once in a blue moon (pun unintended), so he had to be sneaky about it. He threw the itchy blankets off himself and stepped down from the makeshift bed and slipped his worn out dirty boots on. He walked slowly out of the tent into an indigo night illuminated by the twinkling stars in the sky and the icey blue tint of the moon. He tiptoed around the other campers' tents and headed towards the camp mess hall kitchen with a handbag in order to get a few… supplies….  
He shut the door as quietly as he could when he left and ran towards the dock, hoping he wouldn't be seen by any of the campers or the counselors. He stepped into a boat securely tied and held into place using rope. He undid the knot and stepped into the canoe, grabbing a paddle and rowed it over the unsteady waters out to an island blanketed in an enigmatic fog. After a quiet ride on the calming melancholic waters, David rowed the canoe onto the black sandy shore of Spooky Island and treaded carefully through the dark foreboding forest to their usual meeting spot. Sitting quietly amongst a serene little opening dotted with gardenias, yellow camellias, and yellow roses was a ghost boy. The silver moonlight lit up the ghost's blonde hair making it shine like gold and his body emitted a soft ethereal glow. The boy turned his head to look at David and smiled, nodding his head in acknowledgment, his glimmering blue eyes sparkling warmly. Jasper and David sat quietly together in a comfortable silence. It was nice to be with his dear Jasper, at last. The two could never be separated; not by no one, not by anything. Not even by death. David looked over at his friend and thought to himself; silently wishing that he could stay at least a little longer. Instead of only being with him for a single day of the year, he wanted to be able to spend time with Jasper all 365 days of the year. The two decided to bring up some small talk to catch up; how's your life going so far, what's this island like, have you met any other ghosts yet, et cetera et cetera. Their talking died out slowly but they both enjoyed each other's presence. "Hey, Jasper?" David asked. "Yeah David?" "Uh.." He closed his eyes and in his mind he conjured up the sweetest way to put his grim thoughts into words. "Y'know...Sometimes..." David paused and chuckled nervously, "I think about killing myself. So I can be with you forever." An electrifying shock resonated throughout Jasper's translucent spirit once David's words sunk in. A short silence followed by the sound of the wind wisping through the oak trees' leaves.  
"...Y-you...", Jasper gasped.  
The thought ruminated in both of their minds and shut the two of them up completely. They stared up at the dark sky together in peace, sitting by the edge of the lake. They were silent. All was silent except for the tranquil sound of the quiet drifting waves as they moved about in the flow. They were together at last and in that moment, the world seemed to revolve around nothing but the two of them. They sat down in the grass, feeling the gentle tickle of each blade and the soft wet soil beneath them. How could Davey think of such a thing? Jasper thought to himself. What a horrible idea... Certainly killed the mood.  
David clenched the grass surrounding him, pulling it out of the ground in a swift motion. He was stressed. Jasper looked at him in confusion, seeing the anger and frustration in his green eyes.  
"Davey?"  
David didn't realize what he had done. He played it off cool and tossed the grass into the air like confetti as his expression changed from tense and unnerved to light and cheerful. He giggled a bit, his slight outburst soon followed by Jasper's slightly forced and awkward laughter. What was that for? Jasper thought.  
Abruptly standing up, David glanced over at Jasper without meeting his eyes and excused himself to go to the bathroom. Jasper only nodded his head in response but something just didn't sit well with him… What was the cause of bad feeling that he had? He contemplated the source of his unease for a few minutes before he realized that there was no bathroom on spooky island. A cold feeling ran through his ghostly body and he shivered with the sudden realization that David was also in fact not going to the bathroom.  
He stood up immediately and ran in the direction he thought he saw him go into. "Davey!" he called after him but got no response. He dodged trees and tree stumps as he ran, adrenaline rushing through his nonexistent veins and his nonexistent heart beating furiously. He hadn't felt the exhilaration of adrenaline in such a long time. Where did he go?! Jasper thought. He ran blindly through the dark.  
"D-david?" Jasper called out curiously. David was sitting on the ground holding a knife to his chest, the softly rustling leaves whispered around them. Looking over at Jasper with his eyes covered in shadow, David calmly picked up a bottle of sleeping pills in his other hand and asked emptily, "which do you think is better, Jasper?"  
"David…", he christened. David wasn't used to Jasper calling for him like that. Not with his full name and not with such a serious tone. "David, why would you want to do this?"  
"So I can be a ghost! Duh!"  
Jasper sighed sorrowfully, calling his name again. It wrenched David's heart for it felt as if Jasper was angry with him. The ghost stepped closer towards him, kneeling down to pick up the knife then stood up again and held out his hand for the bottle.  
"Hand it over, David. This isn't cool."  
"B-but-"  
"Davey!"  
"What?!"  
This interaction between them felt unnaturally unreal. They'd never in a lifetime argued like this before.  
"Why? What's so cool about being dead? Being dead isn't cool or fun!"  
David paused, thinking for a moment. "I... " he felt his eyes well up with tears. Quickly he wiped them away with his arm, not wanting to cry in front of his best friend; the most important person in his life. He was ashamed of himself for being so sensitive. "I just wanted to be able to spend more time with you."  
Jaspers eyes widened, stunned by David's response.  
"I-i can be with you all the time, Jasper! Don't you want to hang out with me?"  
"Davey, of course I do. But that's not… That's not how it works."  
"I don't wanna wait another year just to see you again! It's not too much time!"  
Jasper could feel an ocean slowly building behind his eyes, ready to burst at any moment, though he held it in with effort. He had to be brave for his best friend. He dropped the objects to the floor and clenched his fists.  
"I wish we could hang out forever too. But that's not how it works. Being dead is the worst feeling in the world! I don't want you to go through what I'm going through."  
David's knees buckled and he fell to the floor, tears streaming out his eyes like Yosemite falls. It wasn't just only being able to see him once a year and only being able to sit and talk, but he couldn't help but yearn for Jasper's warm touch like those times many years ago. He wanted Jasper's warm embrace, not anyone else's. There were nights where the cruel hand of desire crushed his heart and caused him to suffer many sleepless nights. Kneeling down, Jasper hesitated before wrapping his arms around David. However, Jasper's translucent arms passed through David's flesh and bone. David stood up and put his arms around himself, turning away from Jasper. It was like Jasper was taunting him. Jasper was so close… Jasper was right there next to him but no matter what David couldn't touch him. It was as if the sadistic fate was toying with him, screwing around with him until the tantalizing feeling of a cold gaping hole in his body that could be filled with something so close yet impossible to grasp would destroy him from inside out.  
"Davey, I want you to live for me", Jasper whispered. "W-what?" "David… If you won't live for yourself, live my life for me. It's cold and dark and no one notices you when you're dead. You're life doesn't have to be like that. Live life for me, David. Please". David stared into the jaded blue eyes of his dearest friend which seemed to be growing faint. No, it wasn't just his eyes, his whole body was slowly fading. David panicked and tried to grasp at Jasper with all his might, "Jasper… jASPER… JASPER? YOU-, YOU'RE FAding… r" David called hysterically, a thin veil of a concoction of various emotions muddling his thoughts. The ghost smiled at him and brushed his hand across David's cheek and smiled, "Don't forget my words David… Live for me. Live for me… Then until next year davey, see you later". Now nothing but a sliver of light, Jasper faded into nothingness but there was a soft murmur and warm breeze which stirred the lovely flowers and the grass kindly. It felt as though jasper was still right there, trying to comfort him from beyond the grave. 


End file.
